Tighter standards coming for emissions

Author/Source: Robin Roberts

5th July 2017

The European Parliament’s environment committee adopted the EU’s Low-emission Mobility strategy, signalling the Parliament’s desire for ambitious future CO2 standards for cars and vans just a few months before the European Commission’s proposal is expected in November.

This opinion – a reaction to the Commission’s communication on a Low Emission Mobility strategy published in July 2016 – was welcomed by Transport & Environment (T&E) as a positive signal. Specifically the environment committee renewed its commitment to an ambitious 2025 CO2 fleet average target (that lowers emissions by between 18 and 28%) along with the introduction of on-road checks for CO2 emissions.

Crucially the committee also voted to support the development of a zero-emission sales target to drive the market in favour of ultra-low emissions cars.

T&E’s clean vehicles officer, Yoann Le Petit, said, “The environment committee has sent an unambiguous message to the Commission that it wants ambitious post-2020 CO2 standards for cars and vans.

“We need emissions reduced by 25% on the road by 2025 and 45% by 2030 along with measures to support the market uptake of zero-emission vehicles.”

The main elements of the Strategy:

Increasing the efficiency of the transport systemby making the most of digital technologies, smart pricing and further encouraging the shift to lower emission transport modes,

Speeding up the deployment of low-emission alternative energy for transport, such as advanced biofuels, electricity, hydrogen and renewable synthetic fuels and removing obstacles to the electrification of transport

Moving towards zero-emission vehicles.While further improvements to the internal combustion engine will be needed, Europe needs to accelerate the transition towards low- and zero-emission vehicles.